Putting Money on an Inmate's Account at Western Virginia Regional Jail: Lobby Kiosk vs. ConnectNetwork (Fees & Timing)
Trying to put money on someone's account at Western Virginia Regional Jail? You have two main options: the 24/7 lobby kiosk or GTL's ConnectNetwork online system. Here's how each works, what fees you'll pay, and how to avoid timing surprises.
Western Virginia Regional Jail stopped accepting cash, certified checks, and money orders through the mail for inmate accounts on January 1, 2018. Send money that way and it gets returned. All deposits now go through a couple of controlled, trackable options the jail recognizes.
For day-to-day deposits, you'll use one of two methods: the WVRJ lobby kiosk (cash or credit card) or GTL ConnectNetwork for online deposits. Which one makes sense depends on whether you can get to the jail in person and how much you want to pay in fees.
The in-person option is a kiosk in the WVRJ vestibule. It's available 24/7, which helps if your schedule doesn't line up with regular business hours. You can deposit cash or pay with a credit card.
Timing advantage: Money deposited through the lobby kiosk is credited to the inmate’s account immediately.
- Create your ConnectNetwork account - You’ll need a valid email address.
- Verify your account - Watch for an email from ConnectNetwork and click the verification link to complete setup.
- Start a deposit and choose the right location - Select Virginia from the state drop-down, then choose Western VA Regional Jail.
- Find the inmate - Search by the inmate’s name or ID number, then follow the prompts to complete the deposit.
WVRJ's online deposit option runs through GTL's ConnectNetwork. Once your account is set up and verified, you select the jail and the person you're supporting, then follow the prompts to submit your deposit.
Credit card fees through GTL are tiered by deposit amount: $0.00 to $50.00 costs $4.00 plus 3.5%; $50.01 to $100.00 costs $5.50 plus 3.5%; $100.01 to $200.00 costs $8.50 plus 3.5%; and $200.01 to $300.00 costs $11.50 plus 3.5%. These tiers matter when you're stretching a budget, especially if you're deciding between one larger deposit or several smaller ones.
Cash deposits have a different fee structure. GTL charges a flat $2.50 per cash deposit. If you can use cash at the kiosk, that flat fee is easier to plan around than percentage-based card fees.
Quick fee comparison: Credit card deposits through GTL use a tiered fee (a flat amount plus 3.5%), while cash deposits are charged a flat $2.50 per deposit.
Need money available fast? The lobby kiosk is your best bet since deposits credit immediately. Online deposits through ConnectNetwork take longer, so if you're covering commissary purchases, plan ahead and deposit before the person inside expects to shop.
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